I've got an experimental combat system in place. works well for small scale combat. I may have an integrated multi-set. One which is highly detailed for those important battles where you want to leave nothing to chance, one thats watered down as a sort of 'auto battle', where it pretty much plays itself for smaller things like random encounters and other things, and a Fleet Scale ruleset, that deals in squadron movement and such, instead of ship based firepower. Should be interesting

The metagame aspect is taking shape as well. I've laid the ground work for the creation of a race. You'll have X ammount of points to allocate to characteristics, abilities, and starting techs. Those of you who play 4Xs like the Space Empires series will have had some experience with this.

For example, one planned ability is Industrialist. It costs say -50 points to assign, and it increases production rates by 15%, plus a +2% increase per level adv. Another would be Cowardice. All warships suffer a -10% to boarding resistance and are not affected by morale bonuses. However, that costs you +100 points, so that gives you back 100 points to put elsewhere. Its a fine balance of bonuses and disadvantages.

There will be support for anything from violent, bloodthirsty warmongerers who use cheap, mass produced warships, to the technologically advanced superpower with a small, but highly effective navy. You could even theoretically play a pacifist... not sure why you'd want to, but hey, I'll throw it it.

I'll say it again. I intend for this to be rather large in scale. It can be played by one person with campaign sets that i will include with the final release, but its best played with at least 2 players, and will support the dynamics for up to 6 Major Alliances, and any number of small, independent powers, with however many players you could want to have. Theoretically, you would be able to play this with OVER 9000 ppl. The Combat Turn would be pretty damned epic like that.

while I've never played BotF, it is a 4x, so you get the general idea. In its final form (which is a ways down the road), it will support i guess 'single player' campaigning. It'll work best in multiplayer with all factions played by humans, but i will write in several campaigns with an 'ai' of sorts.

somewhere out there in the dark recesses of the net is a rule set for campaigns based around battle fleet gothic, the rules for intersteller movement resources etc were superb and somewhere i have a hard copy of it, but you might try finding it,

DARN
Heavy Destroyer Class Carrier Hybrid HODGEPODGE
# odds and ends: a motley assortment of things
# patchwork: a theory or argument made up of miscellaneous or incongruous ideas

Be careful, also, that this doesn't become a diffrent game. because if it does, why aren't you selling this for money? I would buy it.

space combat is impractical. missiles take up too much space, energy weapons are too power draining, and ballistics have recoil (which meeses up navigation), and melee requires you to be way too close.